9 Reasons for “God Is Just Like Jesus”

1. The visible character of Jesus reveals the exact character of God!
   John 14:9, Hebrews 1:3, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Col 1:15 and John 12:45 all essentially say the same thing: “If you have seen Me [Jesus], you have seen the Father [God].” Our “image” or picture of God is the single largest factor that determines how we relate to God! Too often our image of God is warped, distorted, confused or blank. Human history is filled with corrupt images of God and the ensuing conflict and confusion. Jesus’ greatest mission, outside of the atonement and the release of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, was to “reveal the Father and make Him known.” (John 1:18)

1. Fascination with Jesus stimulates the heart in the 1^st Commandment!
   Identifying specific character elements regarding how Jesus relates to people in specific historical events amazes and delights the heart! Jesus’ goodness actually fuels the heart to “love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind soul and strength” – and that is Worship! Telling Him “directly” what we love about His is crucial!
2. Fascination with Jesus fuels the 2^nd Commandment (“Life Application”)
   When you see how wonderful, healthy, true and amazing Jesus is… you want to be just like Him! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like the Master all the days of our lives. But we try to keep the 1^st Commandment (worship) in first place as we are growing in the 2^nd Commandment.
3. GIJLJ motivates the Great Commission and sharing our faith
   Savoring Jesus’ good character fills and warms the human heart. The natural expression is that we delight and talk about the only One who is truly good. As people respond we then engage in discipleship as we support, encourage and challenge others to behold and obey the God-man! However, we don’t obey to “get saved” but because we are already saved!
4. A healthy view of Jesus’ character promotes a right and healthy interpretation of scripture

As we discover Jesus’ compassion, humility, approachability, self-control, protection, correction and clean anger we interpret scripture is a more healthy way. We avoid the twin pitfalls of legalism (Pharisee-ism) and license (cheap grace). Jesus’ good character is the “lens” through which we view and interpret scripture.

6. A “clearer” and more “defined” image of God naturally leads us into deeper trust and faith in God!
   The more you understand, in detail rather than general terms, that Jesus is 100% good 100% of the time, the more deeply and profoundly you can “lean on” or “rely on” God.  A fuzzy or confused picture of God will hinder our faith and trust in Him. We will picture Him as too harsh or too soft. When we don’t see His goodness “clearly” we struggle to trust Him powerfully. When we clearly see God’s goodness through Jesus’ goodness we can trust God in significantly deeper ways.
7. A “cleaner” and more “healthy” image of God brings healing to our dysfunctional emotions (Ultimate Role Model)
   A distorted or dysfunctional image of God will introduce struggles in trusting God because He “appears” untrustworthy. Those of us with abusive or broken parents or dysfunctional life events will experience great healing the more we study and “pray” the character of Jesus! Studying the healthy emotions of Jesus (and focusing on His emotions in prayer) heals our emotions as the Holy Spirit does His work! Jesus is the ultimate Role Model – for us and our children!
8. GIJLJ helps keep the heart alive in the Spirit and avoids burnout and condemnation
   In Revelation 2:4 Jesus told the Ephesians, “You are doing a lot of good works, but you have forgotten Me as your first love.” (Paraphrase) Strangely we can get the 2nd Commandment in the 1st place. Sometimes it is easier to “knock out some tasks”  and do some “good things” rather than have a relationship with Jesus. We can get tired and burned out from all the “doing” if we forget to 1^st refresh ourselves by connecting with Jesus. He is the one who pours water into our thirsty souls (John 4:10 & 7:37). We aren’t called to be great humanitarians. We have been called to first receive His love and then secondly to love others… specifically because He first loved us. (I John 4:19) We do good works because He loves us and then we love others.
9. GIJLJ gives a clearer context to Jesus assessments (judgments) at the End of the Age (Transition to the Next Age)
   Understanding Jesus’ compassion, humility, fierceness and clean anger while He was a human provides a grid or context to understand His intense confrontation of the Anti-Christ and a rebellious world system dedicated to evil and wickedness. When we have a solid grounding in His revealed character as a human we can rightly agree with His assessments (judgments) of human culture during its darkest hour.